by MOL Mauritius
10/08/2025

MOL in Mauritius: ‘Nou avek zot’ (We are with you)

Environment and Sustainability Strategy and CSR in action: Learning by doing

     In the first blog post from MOL (Mauritius) Ltd , we introduced the 100+ years history of MOL vessels calling Mauritius, the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.

For MOL, Mauritius became more than just a convenient port-of-call along a major maritime traffic route following the grounding and break-up of the MV Wakashio, a 300m long capesize bulk carrier, off Mauritius’ beautiful Southeast coast on the 26th July 2020.

Owned, manned and technically managed by another Japanese shipping company, MV Wakashio was en route to Brazil to prepare to load a consignment of iron ore under a charter contract with MOL.

Aerial view of the MV Wakashio grounded off the southeast coast of Mauritius, surrounded by turquoise waters and reef lines, with response vessels nearby.

Official investigations into the accident, including the Mauritius Court of Investigation publicly released in early October 2025, confirm that human error was the principal cause of Mauritius’ worst maritime accident.

Although MOL has no direct responsibility or legal liability for the accident itself, as a global maritime company and socially responsible company, MOL top management resolved that MOL must step-in and actively respond to the accident, as well as efforts to restore the natural environment and extend support to impacted fishing and coastal communities. This strong sense of corporate social responsibility was exemplified by the then CEO and current Chairman of the Board, Mr Junichiro Ikeda, who would subsequently also be appointed by the Government of Mauritius to act as Honorary Consul of Mauritius in Japan.

What followed were intense weeks of clean-up, with response teams of MOL employees rotated in and out of Mauritius to support the clean-up. Financial donations were made directly to research institutions and NGOs to undertake damage assessment surveys and provide immediate support to impacted communities. International and local experts on matters related to oil spill response, coral reefs, mangroves, fisheries and coastal communities were mobilised, and in September 2020 MOL committed Y800 million (c.US$7m) for environmental restoration and community support in Mauritius. MOL (Mauritius) Ltd was established shortly after in October 2020 to coordinate on the ground.

Establishment of the MOL Charitable Trust (MCT) and the MOL Mauritius International Fund (MMIF)

MOL’s Y800 million financial commitment led to the creation of two implementation funds: the MOL Charitable Trust (MCT) and the MOL Mauritius International Fund (MMIF). Fund structures with independent management structures were chosen to ensure that the award of financial support to recipients followed a fair and transparent process.

In Mauritius, The MOL Charitable Trust was established with a commitment of ￥300 million to be deployed over 5 years. Managed by a committee of 7 Enforcers, of which the majority are resident in Mauritius and 3 are independent of MOL, the MCT focuses on NGOs and community-based projects addressing immediate social and environmental needs, providing grants of up to MUR 1,000,000 per project per year.

In Japan, The MOL Mauritius International Fund was established with a commitment of ￥500 million commitment to be deployed over 7 years. Managed by a steering committee of eminent subject experts, MMIF supports longer-term initiatives to restore the natural environment, with the technical assistance of international experts, and also contribute to local communities.

Infographic summarizing the structure and focus areas of the MOL Charitable Trust (MCT) and the MOL Mauritius International Fund (MMIF), highlighting grants for environmental restoration, community development, education, and industry support.
Activities and Impact

Since commencing activities in 2021, the MCT and MMIF have together funded over 70 NGOs and project initiatives across Mauritius, contributing to environmental restoration and protection, sustainability, and community development, while impacting thousands of beneficiaries.

Three recent project milestones in particular highlight the tangible and sustainable impacts that project supported by MCT and MMIF are having on Mauritius’ environment and vulnerable communities.

  • Empowering youth through the Sea: Kolektif Rivier Nwar (KRN)
    In May, KRN, a local NGO working with young Mauritians from vulnerable coastal communities facing limited access to formal training and employment, held an award ceremony for award of the pleasure-craft boat “Skipper” license. With financial support from MCT and other co-funders, KRN has been delivering theoretical and practical skipper license training in navigation, maritime laws and regulation, safety procedures, weather interpretation, emergency response at sea and first aid. To date, over 60+ young Mauritian have completed the training and gained a formal boat skipper license, providing enhanced employment and wage prospects in the local tourism and marine sectors. Several graduates have already secured employment with local boatyards and boat operators.
    Group photo of young Mauritians holding skipper license certificates at the KRN award ceremony, joined by officials and supporters, celebrating their achievement in maritime training.
  • Mauritius’ first Earth and Ocean Laboratory: Université des Mascareignes
    In September, the Université des Mascareignes inaugurated the Earth and Ocean Laboratory, established with financial support from MCT. The lab will map Mauritius’s seagrass meadows and assess carbon storage potential. Seagrass meadows function as a carbon sink, a habitat for marine species, and a natural protector of the coastline. By mapping seagrass meadows, a scientific baseline in Mauritius will be established to guide future conservation, restoration and policy development. The scientific baseline is also a key step towards unlocking the blue carbon credits potential of Mauritius’s seagrass meadows in the future.
    Interior of the newly inaugurated Earth and Ocean Laboratory at Université des Mascareignes, equipped with tables, computers, and a large screen for environmental research and mapping.
  • Circular economy business model: The Good Shop
    Also in September The Good Shop, a social enterprise supported by MMIF since 2022, held an event to mark its 7th anniversary. The Good Shop promotes a triple bottom-line mission – Education, Employment and Environment - by collecting, repairing, and re-selling donated goods. Donated goods collected by The Good Shop are re-sold in shops or alternatively donated to NGOs active in vulnerable communities, saving the donated goods from landfill. All profits from the re-sale of goods in shops are re-invested into creating empowered employment and education scholarships. With a 5 years programme of MMIF financial support, The Good Shop has been able to open news shops and acquire logistics vehicles, enabling a significant scale-up in activities. The highlight of the 7th anniversary celebration was a donation of MUR 889,000 by The Good Shop to the Lighthouse School to fund education scholarships for children from vulnerable families. While the funds for these scholarships were generated by The Good Shop’s re-sale operations, MMIF support to the scale-up of the enterprise has driven increased revenues and strengthened potential to deliver on the triple bottom line mission.
    Representatives from The Good Shop present a symbolic cheque of MUR 889,000 to the Lighthouse Trust during their 7th anniversary event, supporting education scholarships for vulnerable children.

Looking Ahead: CFP5 and Beyond

Looking ahead, applications for MCT's Fifth Call for Proposals (CFP5) for projects to be implemented in 2026 closed on the 29th September 2025. Over 70 applications were from NGOs across Mauritius, underscoring the vitality of Mauritius's civil society and a strong awareness of MOL’s environmental and sustainability initiatives in Mauritius. MOL Mauritius staff, with the support of third-party due diligence partners, will now commence the process of screening proposals for eventual selection by the committee of Enforcers. The award of projects is expected to be announced by the end of the year.

In addition, as MOL enters the final year of MCT’s 5 years financial commitment, we are reflecting upon on our experiences and how best to continue to support NGOs in Mauritius in the future, while also integrating our Mauritius learnings into our global sustainability management and corporate social responsibility activities. Sustainability is a core part of MOL’s group management strategy, with key areas of focus including “Marine Environment” (protecting marine ecosystems and preventing marine pollution), “Next-generation Human Resources Development” (providing maritime education opportunities, etc.), and “Addressing Local Community Challenges ” (addressing challenges in areas related to MOL's business and supporting disaster or conflict-affected regions). The MCT and MMIF are symbols not just of MOL's support for Mauritius, but our vision of what it means to be an environmentally and socially responsible maritime company.


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